Fortune to the Wind
by Lyra Matsuoka
Summary: Usagi's had it with being a Sailor Senshi, but what's a girl to do? It's not like she can just quit. Being Sailor Moon is her destiny...isn't it? Parrae, or Lachesis, Weaver of the Tapestry of life, says that it doesn't have to be...
1. Parrae

*lyrasoze@hotmail.com*  
http://www.geocities.com/lyra_2040/lyras_studio.html  
  
Hi all! Okay, let me splain. This is a fic based rather heavily in  
Greek, Norse and various other mythologies. The Fates rarely interfered with humans, but for my purposes, one is going to do so. FYI,  
I used several Thesaurus and Baby Name search functions to find  
names that mean 'fate'. I use what they told me and am not  
responsible if it is wrong. Most of the names I use  
have multiple meanings.   
  
Thanks to all those who email me and encourage me and to every  
pizza place in the world for making that particular staple of  
my diet!  
  
Disclaimer: I will never own Sailor Moon. It's difficult to  
come to grips with that fact, but I'll try to   
pick up the pieces and go on with my life. There  
must be a support group for people like me.   
  
-....- indicates thought  
  
Fortune to the Wind  
by Lyra Matsuoka  
  
Chapter 1  
Parrae  
  
  
Sailor Moon looked out on the carnage in utter disgust. A youma   
lay in the center of the park fountain, it's green blood staining the   
water black. Same old, same old. Every night the same bit. No variation, no change. Only the moon, its face calm and implacable, ever differed, it's never ceasing cycle the only thing willing to change in this nightly scene. Ordinarily, Sailor Moon was able to take great comfort in the silvery glow of her mother planet, but tonight was different. Tonight, Sailor Moon had had enough.   
  
She had been late to school...again. She had failed a math   
test...again. She had run into that baka Mamoru and been teased   
about said math score...again. And now, Sailor Mars was yelling   
at her...again.   
  
"If Tuxedo Mask hadn't come along, you would have been crisped  
by that youma!" Mars was screaming. Sailor Moon closed her eyes, and   
leaned against a tree, prepared for the lecture of the night. But  
as Sailor Mars listed all the things that were wrong with her, Sailor  
Moon found herself unable to focus on the ever-increasing list of her   
faults. All things being equal, the sound of Mars's angry voice was   
probably the best part of her day. - Blah. What an utter waste of   
good quality sleep time. -  
  
Sleep sounded wonderful...her eyes were already closed...no  
one would ever be the wiser...Sailor Moon allowed her mind to relax,  
and felt sleep tug at her weary mind. But sleep and recuperation were  
obviously not on the agenda. Needle sharp claws dug into Sailor Moon's  
ankle, through the thick material of her boot. How interesting, that a cat's claws could accomplish what no minion of the forces of evil seemed to be able to do...make a dent in those boots. Barely conscious, Sailor Moon cracked an eyelid.  
  
"Pay attention!" Luna hissed. Sailor Moon sighed. This whole  
senshi business really stank. Late hours, *no* pay, and the costume  
wasn't warm enough to warrant calls to arms at ungodly hours of the   
night and incredibly early morning.   
  
- *Other* superheroes get x-ray vision and telepathic powers not  
to mention cool swords, and fast cars. *I* get late nights, an annoying   
housecat who has a better vocabulary than me, partners who yell at me and a dinky little Moon Wand. I don't even get to leap high buildings in a single bound! Though I've never actually tried it...I wonder how that would work out... -  
  
Grimacing, the self-proclaimed solider of love and justice forced her heavy and rather gritty eyelids back open. Tuxedo Mask was on his way over. Great. Now she'd have to listen to his griping as well. All this yelling and complaining and falling asleep in school really warranted a monthly paycheck. A large monthly paycheck. Perhaps the city of Tokyo could be persuaded to compensate Sailor Moon. She could always threaten to let the youma destroy the city if they didn't...  
  
Tuxedo Mask had reached the group by now. He was glaring at her  
over Mars's shoulder. Mercury was furiously scanning the youma, Jupiter was holding up another tree and Venus was talking to Artemis in hushed   
tones. Sailor Moon sighed, and braced herself for another bout of angry  
words. The wind blew softly through the trees causing the new leaves  
to rustle, and Sailor Moon smiled slightly in spite of herself. Tilting her head back, she examined the stars as they twinkled ever so slightly   
in the velvet of the night sky.  
  
"Sailor Moon? Aren't you *listening*?!" and Mars was off,   
continuing the ever growing list, repeating herself more and   
more often as she ran out of character flaws to complain about  
and her temper remained hot. Sailor Moon considered complaining, or   
whining, or bursting into tears at Mars's cruelty, but these  
tactics had never worked before, and she had no reason to  
believe they would work now. Though it was on the tip of her tongue to suggest that Mars ask Mercury to keep a list of these so called deficiencies in Sailor Moon's battle strategy, tactics and execution, she decided to settle for tuning Mars out. Focusing her eyes on Mars's face, Sailor Moon allowed her mind to wander across the events of the horrible day and the possibility of the next day being exactly like it. Unbidden the most wistful of thoughts crossed her realm of consciousness.   
  
- Where would I be right now if I weren't Sailor Moon? If I didn't have to fight youmas every night and worry about the fate of the universe, where would I be? What would the future hold for just plain old Tsukino Usagi? -  
  
It was a simple thought, one that most humans consider at least three times a day. What if? Sailor Moon allowed the briefest of smiles to cross her lips before forcing her eyes to unglaze and her errant mind back to the topic of the moment, namely her own clumsiness and lack of leadership skills.  
  
And the park exploded into a supernova of white light.  
  
Sailor Moon threw up her arm, shielding her eyes from the glare. Tuxedo Mask threw himself at her, tackling her to the ground, his cape winding around them both and Sailor Moon pressed her eyes tightly closed. But the light dimmed as quickly as it had come, leaving a faint glow in its place. Sailor Moon pushed at Tuxedo Mask's shoulders, springing to her feet. The other scouts had recovered, and were ready to do battle. But the blinding light had not left a youma in its wake.  
  
It had left a woman.  
  
A woman stood in the center of the glow. Sailor Moon squinted. Upon closer inspection, the woman seemed to be the origin of the now softly pulsing light. Sailor Moon stepped closer to inspect   
this stranger. Waist length coffee colored hair was caught back from   
her face in a simple knot at her crown. High cheekbones, arched brows   
and astonishing purple eyes looked back at the senshi calmly from a heart shaped face. A pure white toga was draped around the woman's body. The toga appeared to be held together by shimmering silver clasps that studded the shoulders. The clothes were plain, serviceable, but the physical look of the person in them made the entire ensemble...irrelevant. Her face was calm, smooth, as   
though it had been carved from one perfect piece of marble.   
  
Sailor Moon blinked, realizing suddenly that the woman wasn't gorgeous. She was lovely, no doubt, but there was a power, an intimidating height and posture that detracted from her features. But   
there was infinite kindness reflected in the eyes. Infinite love   
and acceptance. Sailor Moon looked again. No human had skin that white,   
or stood that proudly. This woman carried herself like a...  
  
"Goddess," came a rippling voice. Sailor Moon closed her eyes in rapture and in pain. That voice sounded of a rushing river and cracking ice. It was beautiful and terrible at the same time. Opening her eyes, Sailor Moon saw her fellow scouts braced for battle, but their eyes were wary, and more than a little frightened. Sailor Moon made a large concession for their distrustful nature. In their experience, good and happy things did not generally appear in the park in the dead of night.  
  
"Who are you?" Tuxedo Mask's voice cracked like a whip. The   
woman swung purple eyes to him, and waited. "What is your name?"  
Sailor Moon swung her eyes to her hero, astonished to see beads of sweat standing on his forehead. Obviously she was not the only one who was intimidated by this woman. Her lips turned up in a smile, and Sailor Moon half expected that face to crack at the effort.  
  
"My name," the woman mused. "There are so many. Which would  
you like? Syntyche," she said, her voice like the calm surface of a   
lake. Mercury blanched. The woman - *goddess!* - smiled again and turned to Jupiter.   
  
"Niyati," and this time her voice sounded of the lightning that  
cracks across the sky and the thunder and rain that respond. Jupiter   
snarled. Again the woman turned, this time to face Venus and  
Mars. "Decuma," she murmured, and her voice cracked like a   
whip of flame. Neither Mars nor Venus moved. The woman turned  
to Tuxedo Mask. "Verdandi," she whispered, and Tuxedo Mask grimaced,  
not at the name, but at the sound of her voice, which now cut through  
the air like a sharply honed razor.  
  
Finally the woman turned to Sailor Moon, and she smiled. "But you can call me Parrae."  
  
Mercury's brow furrowed. "Parrae. Niyati. Verdandi," she muttered, and then her eyes widened as her nimble mind and vast store of knowledge combined these names into some terrible and incomprehensible truth. "No...it's impossible..."  
  
Parrae turned amused eyes on Mercury. "My dear child, I have lived long enough to know that nothing is impossible."  
  
"But that means that you're a...you're a..."  
  
"A Fate," Parrae ended. "Yes I am. Why is that so hard   
to believe?"  
  
"Because...because...," Ami seemed unable to form a complete  
thought. Sailor Moon looked at Mercury, bemused. Mercury *never* had trouble thinking.   
  
"The gods didn't exist!" Mercury finished triumphantly, but Sailor Moon saw a lingering doubt in her eyes. It was hard to maintain that stance when there someone standing in front of you who smashed all logic somewhere into the Pacific Ocean.  
  
"Of course they did. As long as people believed in them, they   
existed. Now, of course, many have faded away, but the Fates existed  
long before gods and humans, and we shall exist long after you have   
all passed from this plain."   
  
"Which Fate are you?" Mercury demanded, the shadow of doubt growing in her blue eyes. It was easy to say that the ancient gods didn't exist when surrounded by science and history books, but denying their power when one stood right in front of you was a different matter  
entirely.  
  
"Lachesis," Parrae stated, her mouth curling in a smile. "Don't   
try to pronounce it. You'd probably get it wrong."  
  
It occurred to Sailor Moon that this lady was something of a snob. But if what she said was true, then Parrae had the right to be a little stuck up. And even if she didn't, Sailor Moon wasn't about to be the one to tell her so. Sailor Moon turned her mind back to the conversation at hand.  
  
"Please call me Parrae," the goddess continued. "Now, my dear, if you would..." Parrae gestured and a gaping white hole blossomed in the air to her left. Sailor Moon gaped and turned her face toward the brilliant light.  
  
"Me?!?!" Sailor Moon squeaked. "You want *me* to..."  
  
"No." Tuxedo Mask stepped in front of her, pushing her behind him. The other senshi jumped in front of him, forming a human barrier between Parrae and Sailor Moon. Parrae just smiled, unruffled. When she spoke, it was straight to the senshi of the moon.   
  
"Didn't you want to know? What if, Sailor Moon? What if you hadn't been running late that day you stepped on the kitty there?" Luna hissed and bristled at the insult. Parrae continued. "What if you hadn't met her, if she hadn't met you? What if she missed you entirely?"  
  
Sailor Moon was gaping again. This woman, this goddess, knew so much about her, and the deepest part of her heart. This woman was the answer to her prayers! And by God, she wanted to know! It was her life, and she was sick to death of all this fighting. She wanted to be normal. Sailor Moon looked down at her boots, undecided. Parrae spoke again, her voice soft and seductive.  
  
"I am the Weaver of the Tapestry of Life. Clothos creates and   
Atropos destroys, but I am she who decides the destiny of all mortals  
and gods. I have the power you seek. I can help you."  
  
Mercury had reached for her computer again, and was typing furiously. The woman in front of her was giving of a strange aura, one that the computer was unfamiliar with. It wasn't evil, nor was it pure  
and shining. It was the aura of one who had seen and done many things  
that were terrible, and yet felt neither remorse nor regret.  
  
"No way are you going with this chick, Sailor Moon," Jupiter  
stated. Mars and Venus nodded, their eyes never leaving Parrae. Tuxedo  
Mask just reached for her arm, pushing Sailor Moon behind him. And Sailor Moon, furious at his audacity and Mars's constant complaining and the whole superhero bit and her current life in general,  
made her choice. If Mars thought she was doing such a horrible job,  
then let Mars lead. *Sailor Moon* had had enough.  
  
Raising her blue eyes slowly, Tsukino Usagi in a sailor suit stepped from behind Tuxedo Mask. Parrae waited calmly, her eyes focused on Usagi. And Usagi met her gaze fearlessly, and nodded. Just a slight inclination of the head, a barely perceptible gesture. That was all it took.   
  
Parrae smiled and extended one slim white hand. Stepping forward, Usagi raised her gloved hand as well, stretching towards the goddess who was offering to make her dreams come true. Mars, Jupiter and Venus screamed a denial, and leapt to prevent the catastrophe about to occur. Tuxedo Mask was faster. Leaping high in the air, Tuxedo Mask  
seized Sailor Moon around the waist and jumped into the air once more,  
intent on carrying her far away from this strange woman and her  
seductive promises. Usagi was stunned. How *dare* he interfere in  
this?! It was *her* life damn it! Usagi began to kick and claw,  
furious with this masked moron. With surprising accuracy, Usagi  
lashed out at his chin and kneecaps at the same time. Tuxedo  
Mask managed to survive the kicks to his kneecaps, but the upper  
cut to his chin proved his undoing. With a grunt, Sailor Moon's  
mysterious masked man dropped her.   
  
"Ouch!" Usagi shrieked, glaring toward the caped figure who had  
landed gracefully in a tree. Tuxedo Mask swung around and glared  
at her.   
  
"That was uncalled for," he stated as he descended from the   
tree. He was trying to be subtle, trying to distract her until he  
could grab her again. But Usagi was having none of that. She stood  
to consider her options.  
  
- I suppose I could pull the Moon Wand on him, but really.   
What good would that do? It's just a happy little crescent moon  
shaped piece of metal on a pink stick. The youma are never   
intimidated by it, so why would this masked dunce pull back?   
Okay, Moon Wand is out. I have to get to that woman! But the  
senshi are surrounding her on the ground, and there is no  
way they'll let me near her. So...-   
  
Usagi turned on her heel, grinding it into the hard packed  
earth. Quickly, she sprinted toward Parrae. Dimly aware that   
Tuxedo Mask was in hot pursuit Sailor Moon shifted her course   
and ran toward a park bench. Leaping onto it, Usagi rebounded   
off the back support and executed a perfect leap. Flying through   
the air, she cleared the ring of sailor suited warriors and landed   
on one knee. The seshi gaped, unable to believe that Sailor Moon  
had just managed such a graceful move. Parrae, however, smiled again,  
and nodded. Usagi smiled in return, basking in the love  
reflected in those eyes. Parrae extended her hand once more, and  
before any of the others could say or do a thing, Usagi accepted   
the offer. Another sharp pulse of white light surrounded them.  
Usagi saw Tuxedo Mask flying towards Parrae, and saw the other scouts   
reach for her, and closed her eyes in despair. It was over before  
it had begun, now she would never know...  
  
Tuxedo Mask landed right where Usagi had been mere moments  
before. The other scouts gaped at the now empty center of their circle.  
Silence reigned supreme. Tuxedo Mask turned toward them.  
  
"I..." and Tuxedo Mask was gone. The senshi gaped at the   
blank space where he had been. Ami reached for her visor to   
scan, and discovered that the earring activator was no longer   
in her ear. Glancing down at her body, Ami saw her school uniform  
instead of her fuku. Disbelieving she looked at the other senshi.  
All were in their school uniforms. Gaping, Ami turned to Luna.  
  
"Luna, what..." Ami stopped. Luna was staring at the space  
where Usagi had been standing mere moments before with a barely  
suppressed rage. But when she looked at the scouts, something  
else showed in her eyes. Fear.  
  
"That miserable Fate!" Luna snarled, but the tremor in her  
voice betrayed her. "*Now* she offers assistance! Where was she  
when the Moon Kingdom fell? Where was she then?"  
  
"Luna," Ami ventured again. Luna looked up at the senshi of   
Mercury, and the anger drained from her eyes. But looking deeper,  
Ami wished the anger would have remained a while longer. Terror  
echoed in Luna's gaze.  
  
"If Usagi..." Luna stumbled over her words, and paused.  
"If Usagi chooses a different path, if she chooses not to be a  
Sailor Senshi, then Lachesis would alter the Tapestry of Life to accommodate that choice."  
  
Rei, Makoto and Minako stared on blankly, but Ami felt her  
blood turn to ice.  
  
"That means...but that's impossible!"  
  
Luna shook her head. "Difficult, certainly. But Lachesis has indicated her willingness to attempt it. And that means that Usagi would have to choose to come back to this time, this moment, and continue forward."  
  
Luna tipped her face back and stared at the moon. Slowly, the   
other senshi turned their faces upward, and settled down to wait.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So, what do you think? Good, bad, so totally far out that you are wondering exactly *how* much sugar and caffeine I had before I wrote this? Well, let me know! Oh, and I was inspired not only by my mythology interests, but by the movie 'Sliding Doors'. What if? I just love that question. So, mail me! Even if you only want the precise combination of caffeine and sugar I drink every morning. No, I do not want any coffee to go with my sugar and yuppie French Vanilla creamer...mail me!  
  
lyrasoze@hotmail.com 


	2. Variations on a Theme

lyrasoze@hotmail.com  
  
Hi again. Winter Break is a wonderful thing, as I can actually get   
something accomplished. This is a magical moment.   
  
Disclaimer: Look Mom! I wrote something! Of course, none of the characters belong to me by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a start!  
  
Fortune to the Wind  
By Lyra Matsuoka  
  
Chapter 2  
Variations on a Theme  
  
Parrae extended her hand once more, and before any of the   
others could say or do a thing, Usagi accepted the offer. Another   
sharp pulse of white light surrounded them. Usagi saw Tuxedo Mask   
flying towards Parrae, and saw the other scouts reach for her, and   
closed her eyes in despair. It was over before it had begun, now   
she would never know...  
  
Usagi waited, her eyes tightly closed, for the hard impact and   
the rolling momentum that would send her flying away from this   
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. One second...two seconds...three...  
anytime now...  
  
"Are you waiting for anything in particular?" Usagi frowned   
slightly and cracked one eye open. Her vision was filled with Parrae's   
face. The expression the woman wore was slightly mocking. "Kneeling on   
the floor all day is hardly a productive use of your time."   
  
Usagi's eyes widened of their own volition. There was a brilliant white   
light shining down on her and Parrae. It felt distinctly like a spotlight.   
Usagi carefully pushed herself off the floor into a kneeling position. The   
spotlight began to fade, revealing a dimly lit room with no distinguishing   
traits. There was no sign of Tuxedo Kamen or any of the senshi. In fact, there   
was no sign of Sailor Moon. Usagi glanced down at herself and saw, with no small   
amount of astonishment, that her fuku had vanished without a trace. A toga not unlike the one Parrae was wearing had wrapped itself around her body. Usagi   
shook her head in amazement and started as her hair brushed against her face;   
the golden locks were no longer contained in odangoes and pigtails. Instead, her   
hair hung loose and heavy across her shoulders and down her back.   
  
"What..." she breathed, and Parrae laughed softly.   
  
"This is a rebirth, of sorts. As such, all aspects of your current life   
have been stripped away and replaced with only those things you will need to   
make the transition between the old and the new."  
  
"Oh," Usagi walked forward on bare feet, noting that the floor was cool   
but not cold. In fact, the room was a neutral temperature. Everything here   
seemed to hover in between. It was neither black nor white. There were no   
distinct walls, no ceiling, and no noise. Upon closer inspection, it seemed the   
complete *lack* of these things was the point.  
  
"This is a place BETWEEN. It is exists outside of time and space, outside   
the fluctuations of human intent," Parrae said, watching Usagi closely.   
  
Usagi nodded, accepting this information as par for the course, and turned   
to face Parrae. "Where do we start?"  
  
Parrae walked forward quickly, seeming to glide across the distance. She   
reached for Usagi's hand.  
  
"You are certain that this is your wish? You are determined to decide on   
your own destiny?"   
  
- Who else would decide? - Usagi thought, intending to sound flippant.  
Instead, the question became truly that, an inquiry. - I hope this...goddess, or   
whatever she is can't read minds. That might get annoying. -   
  
But Parrae gave no indication that she had heard Usagi's thoughts, and so   
Usagi nodded quickly instead. "I'm sure."  
  
Parrae raised an eyebrow and nodded once. She extended her arm and turned   
her palm upward. One by one she folded her outstretched fingers into her palm.   
As she did so, mirrors began to appear. Each was set in a different kind of   
metal or stone frame. One was gold, one silver, one copper, one bronze and one   
black obsidian. Usagi watched them appear, noticing that the mirrors did not   
reflect.   
  
"They do reflect," Parrae said. Usagi jumped at the sound. "You must stand   
directly before them."  
  
Stepping forward, Usagi stood before the first mirror and its glinting   
silver frame. There she was, dressed in a short skirt and tight top. She wore   
knee high boots made from soft brown leather and her hair was amazingly short.   
Very chic. Usagi reached up and touched the back of her neck, but her heavy   
golden hair was firmly in place.   
  
"The mirrors reflect what *could* be, not what is," Parrae said.   
"Everything BETWEEN depends on you and your choices. These mirrors represent   
directions you may take, if you so desire. These mirrors are pathways you  
might have traveled...might still travel."  
  
"If I step through this mirror, will I be trapped in that life?" Usagi   
asked quickly. - I want the chance to explore my options. Comparison shop, if   
you will. I don't want to be stuck with a bad decision. -   
  
"Nothing here is permanent until you make it so."  
  
"What about my...the others? What happens to them?"   
  
"That depends on your choices."  
  
"You aren't being very helpful," Usagi muttered, walking over to the   
silver mirror. There she stood again, this time dressed in overalls and sandals.   
Her hair was long and tied into two braids.   
  
"I brought you BETWEEN. The rest is up to you."  
  
Usagi rolled her eyes and prompted a laugh from Parrae. Grinning, Usagi   
turned back toward the mirrors. The copper frame showed her in a power suit and   
heels. The bronze showed a carefree teen, ice cream cone in hand, shoulder   
length blond hair bouncing as she walked. And the black...Usagi shied away from   
the black. She sensed that she would have to face whatever lay in that mirror   
soon enough. But not now...no, not now.   
  
Turning quickly away from that dark mirror, Usagi faced the gold frame and   
saw Sailor Moon standing tall and strong. Usagi took an involuntary step   
backward before raising her chin and turning her back on that golden mirror and   
all the pain, frustration and disappointment it offered.   
  
"Do not be so quick to turn away from all that you know, Usagi."  
  
Parrae stood in the center of the floor, looking at the mirrors as they   
hung in space. Her expression was fierce. "Do not cast that life off until you   
are certain that what you choose instead is superior."   
  
Usagi nodded slowly, uncertain what to do next.   
  
"Select a mirror."   
  
Usagi walked quickly to the bronze frame, watching her carefree self   
walk calmly down the street. The girl in the mirror did not fear youma, or  
her own quickly developing super-powers. The girl in the mirror looked   
concerned about stretching her allowance to the end on the week and passing her   
classes, not about the safety of the world and the location of a crystal.   
- That's who I was...- Usagi thought, her throat tightening. - That's who I   
still would be, if only...-   
  
Holding back tears, Usagi pointed toward her reflection. "Her. I know her.   
She's...she's me."  
  
"All these woman are a variation on a theme. That theme is you. All these   
woman are you...a you that made slightly different choices, or had slightly   
different experiences."  
  
"So my parents will still be my parents?"  
  
"Not always."  
  
"If I'd woken up earlier on the day I met Luna, and taken the long way to   
school, I would have missed her entirely," Usagi mused. "Is that me if I had   
missed her that day?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Usagi felt her heart leap in her chest. A smile tugged at the corner of   
her mouth, and she felt her fears fade away. "How do I get in?"  
  
Parrae nodded toward the mirror. "Just step through the frame."  
  
Usagi took a deep breath and stepped forward. The image in the mirror   
stood perfectly still, waiting. Usagi reached out a hand and watched as it   
passed through the glass. Encouraged, Usagi stepped through the frame and felt a   
shimmer across her skin. Looking down, she saw that she held an ice cream cone,   
that her hair was blowing in some unseen breeze and that a school uniform had   
replaced her toga. Smiling, Usagi looked back through the mirror at Parrae.  
  
"When you have made a choice one way or the other regarding this destiny,   
call my name."  
  
"Will you be watching me?"  
  
"Darling, I am an integral part of the program. Enjoy!"   
  
Parrae gestured with her hand and Usagi found herself on a busy Tokyo   
corner, sitting on a bench and watching the world go by.   
  
"USAGI!"   
  
Usagi's head whipped around and she smiled broadly.   
  
"Hi!"   
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Parrae watched as Usagi walked toward a new experience. Closing her eyes   
briefly she turned away from the mirror and sank into a chair that seemed to be   
made of smoke. She gestured sharply and all but three mirrors faded into the   
background. The copper frame remained in place. The gold and black frames moved   
in front of the chair. Parrae glanced at Sailor Moon, standing tall and strong   
in the gold mirror.   
  
"Future," she muttered and pressed a finger to the golden frame. Sailor   
Moon melted away, and in her place stood an elegant woman in a long white dress.   
Only the gleaming golden crescent moon that graced the woman's forehead   
surpassed the glow of the crown on her brow. Parrae smiled slightly and turned   
to the obsidian frame. There stood the same woman - but her skin was whiter, her   
hair was a paler gold...and on her forehead lay an inverted crescent as black as   
time. Parrae watched the two reflections for some time.   
  
"It will come to this..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
lyrasoze@hotmail.com 


	3. The World Is Changing

It's...it's...it's an UPDATE!! Call the press, the Pentagon, the Enquirer! The end of the world is surely upon us! Jokes aside, here's an extra long installment. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Oh, the disclaimer is coming, the disclaimer is coming! I own nothing. Not the characters, not Sailor Moon, and certainly not the winning lottery numbers. And the chapter title comes from 'Learn To Be Still' my favorite song. The Eagles sing it. YAY!

Fortune to the Wind

by Lyra Matusoka

Rated PG-13

Chapter 3 : The World Is Changing

Usagi surveyed the landscape from underneath golden lashes. The sunlight shone in her eyes and cast rainbows across her field of vision. The day was warm, the birds were singing, and the world was perfect.

True, this was still a noisy Tokyo street and people were still polluting the air and honking at other drivers. And yes, the foot traffic was horrific and she was fighting an uphill battle to cut through the crowd. But for the first time in several months, Tsukino Usagi was not concerned about her future. Oh, she supposed that if she tried hard enough, she could come up with a few things to concern herself with - high school entrance exams for one; tomorrow's math

quiz for another. But nowhere on that short list of worries did 'Protect the world from imminent destruction' appear.

Oddly enough, 'Kill renegade youma' did not appear on the list either, and it usually fell, with alarming regularity, between 'school's out' and 'eat dinner'. That phrase also tended to appear between 'fall asleep' and 'throw alarm clock against wall in an effort to stifle it.'

But not today. Not in this life. This was a brand new start for Tsukino Usagi, and her goals included eating a chocolate sundae with friends and getting the highest score on the Sailor V game at the arcade. The next time a youma crossed her path, she was not, under any circumstances, going to transform into a superhero and order it to stand and deliver. She was going to run in the opposite direction, screaming her head off. Just like a normal person.

Usagi couldn't wait.

This was her life. This quiet, ordinary existence of too much shopping and not enough money with which to fund said shopping ventures. Usagi reached the Crown Arcade and sighed happily as she pushed the doors open. She would flirt with Motoki, gossip with Naru and then, as the sun was setting, she would wave goodbye and run home to eat dinner, annoy her brother and pretend to do her homework. And when she fell in to bed tonight, the only thing that would eventually wake her up would be her alarm clock.

Her school shoes clicking merrily on the tile floor, Usagi waltzed into the arcade and flopped down into a booth, humming a little ditty under her breath as she did so. Naru stared.

"Hello!" Usagi trilled. Naru continued staring.

"Hello."

"Isn't this a lovely day?"

"I guess," Naru said, eyeing Usagi carefully.

"This is, without doubt, the most fantastic day of my life!" Usagi

declared, a wide grin splitting her face. Naru tipped her head to one side and narrowed her eyes.

"Are you sick?"

"Huh?"

"I asked if you were sick. Or not feeling well. I suppose you could also have been to the dentist," Naru speculated. Usagi shuddered.

"I hate the dentist!"

"Which is why you suck down as much laughing gas as you can as soon as they wrestle you into the chair."

"I did that once. Once. And I was five years old at the time."

"It still makes excellent ammunition for random bouts of mockery."

"Careful. You forget that I know all about the incident at the carnival."

"Which one?" Naru said, her expression flipping from suspicious to mildly concerned.

"The one where the clown scared you, and you ran into the Hall of Mirrors and it took the clown, your mom and four security guards an hour to get you out."

"My mother told you that story?"

"You mother tells me a lot of things," Usagi teased, gesturing Motoki over. "I'll have a double fudge sundae. With everything."

"Same," Naru said.

And just like that, the old dynamic was back in place. Naru's face was open and kind, her eyes dancing with laughter instead of suspicion. This was the Naru who loved to window shop and talk on the phone, not the Naru of recent days whose eyes were shadowed by anger and bewilderment. Usagi had almost forgotten what this Naru was like. The sadness of that thought almost took her breath away.

"Usagi? Is something wrong?"

Usagi glanced up to see Motoki standing beside their table with a tray of ice cream and two glasses of water. Usagi shook her head and gestured to the table.

"I, for one, couldn't be better!" Usagi said, her mouth watering at the sight of that sundae.

Parrae watched Usagi in the mirror, taking in the smile, the laughter that bubbled easily to her lips. It was enough to make the coldest heart warm. Parrae inclined her head slightly, the smoke of her chair swirling beneath her. The air in the place BETWEEN contracted slightly, and the silence grew thicker.

"You are meddling again," came a quiet rebuke. Parrae only smiled.

"Why, Clotho. How kind of you to stop by. It's always such a pleasure to see you."

"There is no need to be snide," came the response as a shadowed figure appeared. Clotho approached the mirrors, watching Usagi begin to consume her sundae. To the average eye, Clotho appeared no older than fifteen. Red hair tumbled around her head and down to her shoulders, contained by a coronet engraved with spinning wheels, card combs and spindles. Her green eyes flashed in annoyance as she surveyed the scene in the mirror.

"You should not have done this."

"If you are going to be trite and predictable, you might as well go home."

"This disrupts the pattern."

"If I am the keeper of the pattern, then who but me is to say when it is

disrupted?"

There was a brief silence.

"Tempus is displeased."

Parrae closed her eyes for a moment to hide the anger that flared within her. When she opened them again, the violet orbs reflected calm and strength of purpose. When she said nothing, Clotho made another attempt.

"Why her? Lachesis, why now? There are thousands of people in the world who need saving. She is not one of them!" Clotho gestured to the mirror, desperate to make her point. "That girl has been born again for a reason. You know as well as I do that she has a purpose!"

"So do they all," Parrae responded, shooting to her feet. She gestured angrily and mirrors began to appear. They hung in space, reaching as far above the room as the eye could see. Clotho glanced at them dispassionately while Parrae surveyed them carefully, almost lovingly.

"Every person in this galaxy and all others has a purpose. No one is born in vain," Parrae said, looking at the mirrors, her breathing evening out, her flare of temper fading. The mirrors remained silent and blank, watching the interaction with the cool gaze of the uninvolved. Clotho returned her eyes to her sister, anger flashing within their depths.

"Then why her? Of all those in this world and others, choose another. Alter someone else's life, alter as many lives as you like. But leave this girl, and those who surround her alone!" Clotho finished on a ringing note, and her final words echoed through the room. Parrae looked over at her sister, violet eyes meeting emerald green, and slowly shook her head. Clotho closed her eyes in defeat, the gold of her coronet beginning to shine with an inner light.

"I am only the first. Atropos will come, and others."

"I expected that," Parrae said, returning to her chair and the view that it offered.

"Tempus will come."

"I very much doubt that."

"He will come. And he will stop you where I could not."

In a flash of golden light, Clotho was gone. The place BETWEEN was now empty, save for Parrae and the mirrors. Always there were the mirrors. With a weary gesture Parrae summoned the frame where Usagi sat to the fore and stepped through the frame. She turned around quickly and chanted a few words in a long forgotten language as she vanished.

The afternoon was still golden and perfect when Naru and Usagi left the arcade. Their sundaes consumed, and good portion of their allowance spent on arcade games, the two girls strolled out of the air-conditioned arcade chattering lightly about boys, clothing, and jewelry. Usagi was laughing brightly at a comment Naru had just made when she glimpsed a familiar group strolling down the street. Makoto, Rei, Ami and Minako were all walking towards her. Usagi caught herself staring as they walked closer. Once upon a time, she had been part of that grouping. The center of that grouping, she realized, and

was surprised at the twinge of sadness that shot through her at the thought.

"Hey, aren't those girls in our class?" Naru asked, following Usagi's gaze. Usagi snapped herself out of her brief reverie and shrugged.

"They look familiar," she said, glancing across the street and attempting to shake off the strange feeling of loss. "Hey, check out that store. Fifty percent off?"

"My kind of sale," Naru said with a smile as they crossed the street. Usagi was looking in the windows when she saw that a black cat had joined the four girls. She could see a white cat as well. Luna and Artemis.

And the whole group was staring at her.

Usagi shuddered slightly and darted inside the store, Naru close on her heels. It was a funky, multi-purpose store; jewelry, carved wooden boxes, books and tea were all sitting on designated shelves. It was a quiet, save for Naru's soft exclamations from time to time. Usagi snuck a peek over her shoulder. The group was still standing in front of the arcade, and they seemed to be conferring about something. Every now and then one of them would shoot a glance over in the direction of the store. Usagi shook her head. She was paranoid, she was imagining things...

"Oh, damn. Look at the time. I have to run. See you tomorrow, Usagi-chan!" Naru darted out the door and was gone before Usagi could say a word.

"Well then. That takes care of her," a voice said from behind a gossamer curtain. Usagi whirled to see Parrae, toga and all, emerge from the back room.

"Parrae!"

"I told you, dear. I am a part of the program. So, how are you enjoying the new you?"

"I was enjoying it immensely. Until my former life started casting shadows on this one."

"Ah. And you are concerned because the senshi are looking for you."

"They're standing across the street, but I don't see how that...hold on. Back up. Looking for me? They can't be looking for me! I'm not Sailor Moon anymore! I have no relevance to their lives whatsoever!"

"On the contrary. This is your life, with only one minor alteration. Had you missed Luna that morning, had you failed to step on her, this is the course your life would have taken. You are Sailor Moon in this reality as well. The differences...you are the last senshi, instead of the first, to be discovered; the rest of the senshi recognize your importance more than ever; and they suspect that you may be more than merely the Sailor Senshi of the Moon."

Usagi closed her eyes.

-This is not happening. I cannot believe this is happening. I am never going to be able to get away from this superhero gig. What qualifies me to save the world anyway? Nothing, that's what, nothing. I'm an airhead, a crybaby, a klutz and I have no grasp of basic algebra. What about this series of facts combines to make me a superhero?-

It took Usagi a minute to realize she had said that aloud. Parrae

grinned.

"All right. Fine. What can I do to get rid of them?"

"The senshi? Nothing. They suspect who you are - in fact, they know almost for a fact who you are. And they are walking right toward you."

Usagi whirled to see Ami and Makoto entering the store. Parrae vanished behind the curtain again, and Usagi glared after her as a sound somewhere between a growl and a scream emerged from her throat. Quickly, Usagi turned away from the girls who had just entered the store and pretended to be deeply immersed in a display of jewelry.

-Don't focus on them. They will go away. Ignore them, ignore them...-

"Usagi?"

-Oh, I hate my life. Hate it, hate it, hate it.-

She turned her head, taking in the duo, before deliberately turning away.

"Hi...Ami, right?" Ami nodded and Usagi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Hi Makoto. What's going on?"

"We were wondering," Ami began, "that is, we thought that you might..."

"Like to have a milkshake with us," Makoto slipped in, grinning broadly. Usagi knew that smile. That was a dangerous smile. Usagi felt her adrenaline level bump up. That was her cue to get the hell out of Dodge.

"Wow, thanks for the invite," came the swift reply. "But I just ate. And I really need to get home."

That said, Usagi made for the exit. She counted the steps to the door.

On step one, Makoto turned with her.

Step two, Makoto reached out for her arm.

Step three, Makoto missed her arm but grabbed her shoulder.

Step three and a half, Makoto jerked Usagi back as Rei and Minako entered the store.

Step three and three-quarters, Usagi kicked Makoto in the shin, barreled past Minako and Rei and tore down the street in a rather undignified fashion.

-I am insane. It's official. I can't believe this is happening to me. Do I really want to not be Sailor Moon this badly? Okay, a stupid question. Less thinking, more running.-

It came as no surprise to anyone that Usagi was a fast runner. Usagi herself knew that. What surprised the senshi and their two feline companions was how fast she ran to get away from them. All four girls stood in the fading light, watching golden hair vanish in the distance.

"It's almost like she knows something we don't," Luna muttered.

Two blocks later, Usagi collapsed onto a bench and began taking deep breaths to soothe her burning lungs.

-That was close. Too close. I have to avoid them. If I just stay away from them they will eventually grasp that I am not now, nor will I ever be, Sailor Moon. I have a choice this time. I will or I will not. And I choose not. So there.-

Pep talk running through her mind, Usagi stood and began the trek toward home.

Step one, she saw a coin on the ground.

Step two, she bent to pick it up.

Step two and a half, someone who was obviously visually challenged tripped over her and went sprawling onto the ground. Usagi shrieked and stood, glaring at the hideous green jacket that was attached to the person who had run into her. It took two seconds to put it all together, and Usagi started to grin.

"Graceful as a swan, Mamoru. Really. Might I suggest ballet lessons?"

"Glass houses, Odango Atama. Glass houses," Chiba Mamoru said, standing up and brushing himself off. Usagi smiled again. This was normal. Totally in keeping with the rest of her life. Brilliant.

"Well, I'm going home. You should stop at the eye doctor and pick up a pair of glasses. Tripping over people is an anti-social behavior." Usagi turned away and started skipping down the street, deliberately putting her brush with the senshi out of her mind. This day just kept getting better and better, and she was not about to allow one incident to ruin it. It was nearly perfect.

And, as always, human screams and the staccato explosions that always accompanied a youma attack shattered the nearly perfect afternoon.

And, as always, Usagi broke into a run. She had rounded the corner and glimpsed the youma, which bore a distinct resemblance to a peppermint candy cane, when she realized two things;

1) She was no longer Sailor Moon and thus had no way of defeating this

monster; and

2) If she hung around much longer, she was likely to end up as one of

those screaming, hysterical folk she had so despised while in uniform.

Those two things decided, Usagi did the only thing she could do. She joined the screaming crowd and dashed for cover. It didn't work. The youma zeroed in on Usagi and started walking toward her, screaming its name as it hurled sticky residue across the nearby buildings. Usagi watched, forgetting for a moment that she should be terrified, and quirked her eyebrow. This was the best the forces of evil could do? No wonder all she needed was the damn Moon Wand.

All thought fled from her mind when Usagi found herself pinned against a wall, red and white stripped gummy material pasting her to a bank. As the youma advanced, bound and determined to drain her energy, the Sailor Senshi arrived on the scene. Fire flew, lightning crackled, a fog covered the entire street and, wonder of wonders, several roses were thrown straight at Usagi's chest. Usagi closed her eyes and waited for the pain of impact, and instead found that she could move her arms. This was a plus under any circumstances.

Without wasting time, Usagi did what she had promised herself she would do under just these circumstances. She grabbed her bag and ran in the opposite direction. She didn't get very far.

- Why is it that these damn youma fixate on me? I just don't get it,- Usagi thought as she kicked ineffectually at the gummy tentacle that had wrapped itself around her ankle. When that had no effect she began bludgeoning it with her school bag. Another rose speared the mass, and the youma screamed as Sailor Venus sent it spiraling into oblivion. Usagi watched as the tentacle slowly faded, leaving her free to stand up and inspect the damage. The senshi were taking notes and, naturally, Tuxedo Kamen was standing in his tree. Usagi shook her head and stared at the group.

- They don't need me. After everything is said and done, Mars was right. The senshi don't need me to protect the world. They're doing just fine all on their own. That's fantastic. It really is. So...why do I feel so depressed? -

"Are you all right miss?" came the courteous question. Usagi didn't need to turn around. She knew that voice, and the little flutter in her chest. She cast a final, lingering look on the senshi and turned away to face the rest of her life without this craziness.

"Fine, thank you. And you?" Usagi inquired politely. The silence was enough of a response. Too late, Usagi remembered that she was now an ordinary citizen. And ordinary citizens did not calmly converse with superheroes after an attack upon the city. Usagi winced and turned to assess the damage. It was too late. Tuxedo Kamen was speechless. Deciding quickly that there was nothing for it save to fully appreciate the moment, Usagi turned around.

"You're all right?" he said again.

"Yup. Couldn't be better."

"You don't require assistance?"

"Not really. But it's sweet of you to ask," Usagi said, turning away again. 1, 2, 3...

"She might be in shock," she heard Mercury mutter, and listened for the telltale zip that would indicate a body scan from the all-powerful visor. Yes indeed, there it was.

"She might be in denial," Venus suggested.

"Please. Those monsters attack the city at least once a day. You must be used to it. Why shouldn't we be?" Usagi threw over her shoulder.

-An excellent question. Why aren't the people of Tokyo used to this by now? It happens all the time, for heaven's sake! -

"It's her," a familiar voice said softly.

"The Senshi of the Moon and the heir to the throne of Selene," said another familiar, and feline voice.

Usagi stopped dead. She turned around slowly and focused on the two who had spoken. Luna and Artemis.

They were standing dead center in a semi circle of the senshi and Tuxedo Kamen. And all of them were staring straight at her.

"She's the princess?" Mars gaped. Usagi started to laugh. Some things never changed. It took her a moment to realize that she was blowing her cover but good. Desperate, Usagi looked around for a way to stop the sinking of her alternate reality ship.

"I don't believe it. My theories about algebra turning the human brain to mush have finally proved correct. I've lost my mind. That's the only explanation. I am not having this conversation."

"Tsukino Usagi, you are the warrior of the Moon, chosen to lead and fight alongside the Sailor Senshi in a quest..." Luna was off, giving her speech. If someone didn't stop her, Luna would drone on and on about duty, sacrifice and destiny for hours on end. And Usagi was not in the mood.

"I am not hearing this. Do you know why? Because cats can't talk. That's why," Usagi said as she turned on her heel and prepared to flounce away. Unsurprisingly, she didn't get very far. Tuxedo Kamen planted himself firmly in front of her and crossed his arms over his chest. Usagi blinked twice. He hadn't moved.

"All right. Let's pretend for a few seconds that the rules of nature have been warped, and that cats can talk. I'll buy that for now. Sure, why not? Cats talk all the time, and I'm a warrior destined to save Earth. That sounds reasonable, right?" Usagi turned around and glared at the senshi. "Wrong. It sounds insane. And now all I want to do is go home, sleep for a month and when I wake up, I'm going to pretend that all of this was a dream."

"Unite the crystals. It's the only way to convince her," Artemis declared.

"Every youma for three square miles will descend on us instantly if we do

that," Mars argued.

"It won't matter. Not if she's the princess. The power of the crystal will

connect with her energy and cleanse any negative power within a certain radius.

Unite the crystals," Luna stated calmly.

Usagi's eyes widened. They had all the crystals? But that was...as each senshi produced a crystal, Usagi watched as the mission she had strived for months to complete was played out before her eyes. Mars and Tuxedo Kamen produced two crystals each, for the grand total of seven. The senshi held the crystals near each other, and to Usagi's amazement, the crystals began to glow. They shone so brightly that light lost all color and the only thing that remained was a blinding white. Usagi shut her eyes in defense, and when she opened them, a cool silver glow bathed her entire body. And before her floated a crystal sphere that appeared it would fit neatly in the palm of her hand. Usagi blinked.

This was the legendary crystal? This diamond revolving in the air was the foundation of a society and the embodiment of a power so great that it could contain an army of shadows and move souls back and forth through time? Amazing. Usagi could feel the energy produced by the crystal shining through her veins. She closed her eyes in shock.

- This is not happening. They are NOT going to drag me back into this...but if I had the crystal, I could destroy the youma more easily. I could protect my family, my friends. I might actually live up to being Sailor Moon. If I live at all. -

That final, traitorous thought was what decided her. Usagi opened her eyes and watched the crystal revolving slowly in mid-air.

"I can't. Not right now. This isn't how I want to live. I want to be free to make my own choices. This isn't..." what I want, she finished silently.

A single tear traced down her cheek as Tsukino Usagi closed her eyes. "Parrae."

And there she was, again in a flowing gown of white, compassion in her eyes.

"Have you made your choice?"

"I have."

"Then voice it."

"No," came the barely audible reply, and Usagi felt her will begin to crumble. There was something in that crystal, something that spoke of hope and peace and an endless love...

But before thought could be put into action, the crystal dissolved and so did the world around her. Once again, Usagi was in the place BETWEEN, wearing a white dress. And she was standing in front of the silver mirror. Her short hair and chic clothing stared back at her. Putting the last failed path out of her mind Usagi stepped forward into the mirror without speaking to Parrae. Parrae said nothing, accepting silence as her due, watching as the two images melded and faded from view. Again she looked at the gold and obsidian mirrors and shook her head.

"Destiny and choice are often in sync," she muttered, "and woe betide those few for whom they are not." Looking toward the silver frame, she dismissed the copper and bronze frames and settled back to wait.

What did you think? Review! Even if you hated it and think I should take up accounting!


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